Is this legal?

[hucsman]

My university just gave away free cd's with office 2003 and winxp pro. It was done under a deal they have with microsoft called "campus student option" or something. The thing is, I already have winxp home and office. I thought I might as well sell the cd's they gave me and make a profit. I've been researching, both in my university's help desk website and microsoft.com, and none say I can't sell the stuff. Even so, I kind of feel funny about it. What should I do?

[Joel]

I believe you cannot sell this. It's a deal between your university and Microsoft.

Besides, anything gotten for free and sold for a profit doesn't really sound right. ;)

[jjesusfreak01]

Ive heard there are similar ways ro get discounted versions of software like this by using student plans and such, and if you arent going to install it, you should at least be able to give it away, though I would use it.

[hucsman]

Yeah, I figured I couldn't make a kosher profit out of this...
Damn, this whole deal had "Ipod shuffle" written all over it :(.

[jjesusfreak01]

Yeah, I figured I couldn't make a kosher profit out of this...
Damn, this whole deal had "Ipod shuffle" written all over it :(.
I shouldnt be the one to talk. When I go to college, ill probably get all of my software free, because my uncle works for HP.

[SamuraiCatJB]

The university has a "corporate" license agreement, meaning they have n number of licenses to cover all students. Microsoft has been handing these out like candy, I won't say at what cost... that will get into a anti-trust issue.

Mexico and south american countries have been getting special deals since the free windows project announcement by some country (peru?). Anyhow, anyone who could possibly get a copy from that country has been getting incredible deals for the "real thing".

Because that is a corporate license, the transfer of that license to a non-member (giving to your sister, or selling on ebay) is considered a violation of the end-user license for holding a corporate licensed product.

sorry, but no go.

[hucsman]

That's ok, I already opened the envelopes (just to make sure I spook the greedy elves away). What's funny is that they have a product key and the holograms in the cd's and everything, but the cd's say "UNLICENSED SOFTWARE- Illegal without separate license from Microsoft". WTF??? I didn't get any license, I just got product keys!

[SamuraiCatJB]

the license belongs to the school... that is normal for corporate licenses... real disks, real keys, but if you remove the disks from the "realm" of the license (like the army giving one to the air force), you violate it immeadiately.

[seraphim_9:11]

I guess the EULA would not even be mentioned in the product while loading - there is probably no way (or very little way) for MS to find out thst someone not from the college is using it ... but then again thats also the case with people using hacked keys/cracks and registry mods for registering Win XP.
I suggest you keep it - never know when you might need it - my question is if it would remain legal for you to use it (actually start using it) after you finished with college - that would mean that you are not a part of the college ( as in not a student) and still using it ...

[m8rk]

the license belongs to the school... that is normal for corporate licenses... real disks, real keys, but if you remove the disks from the "realm" of the license (like the army giving one to the air force), you violate it immeadiately.
This is my understanding too. When you leave the establishment, you no longer have any right to have the software. Like with selling PC's on, the software that came with it remains the property of the original purchaser - the buyer has to buy his own licence.
So you could sell XP and Office if you bought those yourself for your PC, but you would have to re-purchase when you left college, and you wouldn't be eligible to upgrade.